Location and landscape
Kapellen-Drusweiler is a municipality in the South Palatinate district (Landkreis Südliche Weinstraße) in Rhineland-Palatinate and belongs to the collective municipality of Bad Bergzabern. The village lies in the Erlenbach valley immediately before the Palatinate Forest (Pfälzerwald) and is surrounded by vineyards. The municipality describes its location as climatically favoured and cites around 2,100 hours of sunshine annually. Kapellen-Drusweiler is located in the Palatinate (Pfalz).
Viticulture and rose garden
Kapellen-Drusweiler is documented locally as a wine-growing municipality. In the southern part of the municipality, the vineyard site Rosengarten lies between vineyard hills, with views towards the Palatinate Forest. Along the rows of vines, more than 400 rose bushes are found there. In the 2024 Rhineland-Palatinate vineyard directory, Rosengarten is listed as an official vineyard site of Kapellen-Drusweiler.
Historical development
Drusweiler was first mentioned in 1179, when its church was placed under the Abbey of Weißenburg. The settlement of Kapellen developed around a chapel built around 1200 by the Klingenmünster abbey. In 1410, the Duke of Zweibrücken united the two villages into a single municipality and thereby established the double name Kapellen-Drusweiler.
Roses in the vineyard
The roses in Rosengarten preserve a historical practice of viticulture. In the past, roses were used as an early warning sign for powdery mildew, as they could indicate an infestation before it reached the vines.
